Possible Way to Inhibit Human Breast Cancer Metastasis

Clearly, genes activated within the cancer cell give it the capacity to invade local tissue and metastasize. But what activates those genes? Past studies have shown that bone-marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are drawn to developing tumors, including human breast cancers. Researchers mixed human breast cancer cells with MSCs.

Placing the MSCs near the breast cancer cells greatly increased the metastatic potential of those cells. The researchers then showed that human breast cancer cells stimulate the MSCs to make a chemokine molecule called CCL5 (or RANTES). The CCL5 then attaches to the CCR5 receptor on the breast cancer cells, thereby increasing the metastatic potential of those cells when they are injected into mice. Most impor…